Dog Grooming Mistakes Pet Owners Must Know
It is truly fun and exciting to own a dog, especially for first-timers. However, owning one is not all play and games. In order to fully sustain a healthy life for your dog, you must avoid common dog grooming mistakes and be a responsible owner.
It is one of your tasks as a responsible owner to groom your dog regularly, and grooming is not as easy as a fifteen-minute hose bathe in the garden every now and then. There are mistakes you can avoid and you must know about them now.
Not Grooming at All
If you leave grooming to be your dog’s own responsibility, you might just risk decreasing the quality of its life.
Dogs actually clean themselves. They lick their fur like cats with their tongues that are so effective in getting rid of dirt. You’ll mostly notice this behavior after they play outside. They’ll lick their paws as if they’re only doing it for fun or out of boredom, but in reality, that’s just their way of cleaning up.
Now, it is your job to follow up. Dogs are very clean animals, but they can’t do it alone. You can make them happier and healthier by grooming them regularly depending on their needs. As you must know, their tongues can’t cover their whole bodies.
Skin problems and mite infections can arise after prolonged periods of not grooming. You should groom your dog at least every month depending on its breed.
Failing to Cut Nails by the Quick
The quick is the pink part of your dog’s nails. They’re composed of soft cuticle, blood vessels and nerves, and you will surely hurt your dog if you accidentally trim the quick of their nails.
To avoid this bloody accident, make sure you spot the quick before you cut. If you aren’t sure where or what the quick is, a quick google search will do. However, if you are not confident with the stability of your hands, just ask for your veterinarian’s help. It’s the best you can do.
Forgetting to Brush Your Dog’s Fur
Just like humans, dogs also secrete natural oils that clean their skin. You can maximize the cleaning property of these oils by brushing your dog’s fur. Brushing will spread the oils around your dog’s body.
Now, this isn’t the only purpose of brushing as it also keeps tangles away. If you have a dog with long hair, you should be brushing it often to avoid knots that will require unintended shaving.
Missing Spots When Brushing
Make sure you get every strand of fur on your dog’s whole body. They get tangles everywhere, and most of the time, spots you usually ignore when brushing are more prone to tangles: armpits, behind the tail, belly, behind the ears and around the neck.
Not Knowing Your Pet’s Normal Behavior
Your dog can suffer trauma after grooming if it’s not familiar with the procedures. However, you may not know about this if you don’t know your dog’s normal behavior. It may suffer trauma or stress without you knowing it.
Get to know your dog. How does it go about its day? What’s its reaction to being handled by someone other than you? How about its relationship with grooming tools such as nail clippers and blow dryers?
It’s best to get your dog accustomed to being pampered before even taking it to the local dog groomers.
Overshaving
Shaving is good for some breeds especially during the summer or for some other reasons. Although dogs don’t sweat and only release heat through panting, the heat affects them too.
It’s advisable not to shave your dog to the skin, especially when you’re doing it yourself without the help of a professional. You may end up giving it a small cut which can lead to infection.
- Shaving
Aside from overshaving, shaving itself is not all the time good for your dog. It may seem like a no-brainer to shave your dog during the hot summer days, but veterinarians advise otherwise. Don’t shave your dogs!
Your dog’s fur actually is a better aid during hot and cold seasons. Yes, that’s right… your dog’s long fur can also keep it comfortable during the summer. This is how your dog’s fur is designed — a shield from the blazing beams of the sun and the penetrating cold of the winter.
However, you should take note that not all dogs are the same and there are breeds out there that you’ll need to shave on certain situations.
If you have a dog who likes to spend a lot of time running around and playing outdoors, you can trim its fur short to lessen the build up of dirt and possibility of infections. You should also consider cutting your dog’s fur short if it is always exposed to water and abundant humidity. This can prevent maggot infestation or Myiasis.
Grooming on Slippery and Hard Surface
Who would want to relax on an operating table? Yes, an operating table… that’s what it feels like being groomed on an aluminum or glass-covered table. It’s uncomfortable not only for your pet but for you as well. You’ll end up using more force than what’s needed whenever you try to hold and pull your pet when it slips and slides. Try grooming it on a soft and dry towel. See the difference for yourself.
Heavy Hands
Don’t scare your pooch away with your oh so aggressive hands. Don’t make it feel like grooming is a requirement with your hard wrestles here and there. Make it feel like grooming is a luxury.
Touch it with the most gentle hands while still being able to control and manage it to shoo accidents away. Provide it a comfortable space to sit/rest on. Massage your dog to make it feel more relaxed. Give it something to chew on while you clip its nails. Think of other ways to keep your dog composed other than using force. Otherwise, the next grooming sessions to come will be more and more difficult.
Not Giving Rewards
Give your pooch a treat! Let it feel like it has done a good job staying still throughout the session. This will make a difference. Train it to go through grooming sessions comfy and easy.
Love Your Dog, Make Life Better
Grooming your dog is not just a way to keep it healthy. Dogs don’t live the lifespan of humans. Yes, they live shorter lives, but they’ll live the best life with your love and affection.